Eugene reluctantly stepped aside.


    Nathaniel hurried over, thanked him, and scooped up the child.


    As soon as Nathaniel picked the child up, the little one awoke and instinctively began to struggle. But upon hearing Nathaniel''s voice, the child calmed down and clung to him, crying softly.


    "Uncle! Uncle!"


    "Oh, oh, I''m so sorry," Nathaniel choked out, holding the child tightly. "I didn''t notice you were missing. It won''t happen again, I promise. I''m sorry, I''m so sorry..."


    Nathaniel''s eyes were red with emotion as he held the child he thought he''d lost. Watching this unfold, M felt a mix of emotions. She never imagined the child she''d helped rescue belonged to the Pembroke family.


    Not that she regretted it.


    Adults are one thing, but children are another. Even if she had known earlier, she would have still helped.


    Yet, her feelings wereplicated.


    Once the child had cried himself to exhaustion, Nathaniel bowed to them, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you so much. The Pembroke family will make sure to repay your kindness."


    Eugene snorted, uninterested in dealing with him.


    M waved her hand dismissively, indifferent to any gratitude from the


    Pembrokes. She hoped Nathaniel wouldn''t show up again.


    But as Nathaniel turned to leave with the child, the little one suddenly began to fuss.


    "I don''t want to go, Uncle. I don''t want to go."


    The child''s struggles forced Nathaniel to set him down, and he immediately ran back to the hospital bed, throwing himself into M''s arms, crying out.


    "Mommy, Mommy, please don''t leave me. I''ll be good, Mommy!"


    M blinked in surprise. "What? Hey, kid, don''t just call anyone ''Mom''! That''s a big deal!"


    Eugene watched in frustration as the child''s sudden leap dislodged M''s IV needle. Furious, he strode over, ready to pull the child away.


    "Get down from there!"


    "Stop it! You''ll hurt Julian!" Nathaniel snapped, unwilling to tolerate Eugene''s roughness.


    Lying in the hospital bed, M listened to the child''s cries and the escting argument between the two men. Her head throbbed, ready to burst.


    "Everyone, shut up!" she shouted.


    The room fell silent, the crying and arguing vanishing instantly.


    Finally able to breathe, she looked down at the child, who was stifling his sobs with a forlorn expression. Sighing, she held him close and gentlyforted him.


    "I wasn''t talking to you, don''t worry," she whispered.


    By the time the doctor came to reinsert her IV, the child was fast asleep, exhausted.


    M half-sat up in bed, cradling the sleeping child, while the two men sat nearby, looking on. She felt utterly drained.


    "Where''s the child''s mother?" she suggested. "He might feel more secure with her."


    Nathaniel didn''t respond, his head downcast.


    Eugene, knowing Nathaniel''s history with his sister, gave him a nudge. "Speak up, are you mute now?"


    Nathaniel frowned slightly and responded in a t tone, "In prison."


    M''s eyes widened. "What?"


    Eugene was equally taken aback, "..."


    M, her heart heavy, asked again, "What about the father? He could do."


    "Dead," Nathaniel replied, his voice even colder.


    Eugene fell silent,pletely at a loss.


    M was speechless.


    What could she even say to that? The Pembroke family seemed like a whirlwind


    of misfortune: a mother in prison, a deceased father, a kidnapped child, and a clueless uncle.


    What kind of friends did Lysander have, anyway?